Ledger blade grinder



June 14, 1932. C MCKE V 1,863,036

LEDGER BLADE GRINDER Filed April 19. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l HVVENTOF? ATTORNEY June 14, 1932. c wlCKE 1,863,036

LEDGER BLADE GRINDER Filed April 19, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fw 1-22 v v I mum 44 lllllljlllllll mmlllllllll cull //\/l/ ENTOR.

ATTORNEY June 14, 1932. c. wlcKE LEDGER BLADE GRINDER Filed April 19, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 VVE/VTOR I llflmm/i @144 ATTORNEY Patented June 14, 1932 Mirna stew CARL WICKE, OF AMS'llslERDAM N "503K, ASSIGNQB T6 BIGEIIGW-SANFORD CARRIE 00., INCL, OF THOMPSONVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATIGZN 0F IiIASSAGHUSET-TS LEDGER TBLADE GREENDER Application filed April 1-9, 1930.

-The present invention relates to devices for grinding or sharpening ledger blades such as are employedon rug and carpetshearing .or finishing machines.

It has been the practice heretofore in grinding or sharpening ledger blades, to remove the ledger blade from the shearing or finishing machine where it operates to shear the pile of a fabric, and grind the blade on a planor or other specially equipped machine This prior practice is time consuming, requires the use of expensive grinding equipment, and it is extremely difficult to grind the blade upon one machine and then mount it upon another machine so that the blade will shear accurately throughout its length.

A primary feature of the present invention therefore resides in a ledger blade grinder which is adapted to grind the blade without necessitating the removal of the blade from the machine upon which it operates.

A further feature of the present invention resides in a ledger blade grinder which is adapted to be supported by the ledger blade for movement along the blade so that the blade itself constitutes the runway or guide along which the grinder travels while performing its grinding operation and as a result an accurately aligned and properly ground cutting edge is assured.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the construction whereby a shoulder upon the ledger blade is utilized as a track or runway along which rollers for supporting the grinding device travel as the grinding device is moved along the blade, anda further feature resides in means for adjusting the grinding wheel relative to the blade to vary its cutting action.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in operating means adapted to be mounted upon the ledger blade to advance the grinding device along the blade during the grinding operation.

Other features of the invention and novel Serial No. 445,561.

combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good practical form ofthe invention.

In the drawings V v Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a ledger blade and associated parts having a grinding device of the present invention mounted upon the blade.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the grinding device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of Fig. 2 with the motor removed;

Fig. 4: is a sectional-view taken on thelline 44 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a front face view of the ledger blade showing means for moving the grinding device along the blade.

The grinding device of the present invention while adapted to grind various forms of ledger blades is illustrated in connection with a pile fabric shearing machine of the type in which the ledger blade is pivotally supported for movement towards and from the pile shearing position. In the shearing machine shown in the drawing, the pile fabric 1 to be sheared is advanced in a righthand direction over the edge ofthe fabric supporting bar 2 that is mounted upon the supporting frame 3.

The ledger blade illustrated consists of the blade proper 4 that is firmly bolted to the blade supporting bar 5, having the strengthening rib or beam 6. The bar 5 is shown as provided with the supporting brackets 7 that are pivotally secured. at 8 to the machine frame 3. The arrangement ledger blade occupies the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 while performing its shearing operation, but maybe rocked upwardly to the position in which it is shown in full lines to facilitate the introduction of the fabric to be sheared. The ledger blade in the construction shown is dis-- is such that the posed at an angle of about 50 degrees to the horizontal during the grinding operation and is supported in this position by the engagement of the rib 6 with a part 9 of the frame 3.

The ledger blade is adjustably supported in the shearing position by adjusting bolts 10. The rotating shearing element 11 is mounted adjacent the ledger blade in the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The above brief description of one form of shearing machine having a ledger blade has been given to make clear how the blade may be ground without removing it from the shearing or finishing machine. It is apparent that if the pile fabric 1 is to be sheared evenly, the cutting edge of the blade 4 must be straight, and accurately spaced from the fabric supporting bar 2 throughout its length, and it is also apparent that the blade should be ground so as to maintain this accurate alignment.

The grinding device of the present invention is therefore so constructed that it is mounted upon and supported by the ledger blade throughout the grinding operation. This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by constructing the grinder supporting frame so that it may be placed over the blade 4 in straddling relation therewith for movement back and forth along the blade, and the supporting frame illustrated consists of a front plate 12 and a rear plate 13 which are held in spaced relation to each other by blocks 14.

The grinder supporting frame is provided with rollers adapted to engage the opposite faces of the blade 4 and in the construction shown the front plate 12 has a roller 15 supported below the lower edge of the plate 12 at the vertical central plane of the plate, while the rear plate 13 has the spaced rollers 16 supported above the roller 15.

It is desirable to support the rollers 15, 16 for relative movement to accommodate blades 4 of different thickness, and this may be accomplished by adjust-ably mounting the bracket 17 that carries the roller 15 upon the front plate 12. To this end the bracket 17 (see Fig. 4). has its upper end rockingly secured to the front plate 12 by the bolt 18,

and spacer 19 and the lower portion of the bracket 17 is held the desired distance from the plate 12 by the adjusting bolt 20 having threaded engagement with the supporting strap 21. The inner end of the bolt 20 is rotatably secured to the bracket 17 as shown.

t will be understood from the foregoing that the spaced rollers 16 engage the upper face of the blade 4 near its cutting edge while the roller 15 engages the lower face of the blade 4 near the supporting bar 5, the arrangement being such that the rollers resist the tilting tendency of the grinding d vice in a left-hand direction viewing Fig. 1, and guide the frame along the blade 4.

The grinding device in the construction shown is further supported by the rollers 22 positioned below the grinding frame to rest upon and travel along the track or runway formed by the upper edge of the bar 5. The rollers 22 resting upon this upper edge or shoulder of the bar 5 serve to maintain the grinding device accurately spaced from this shoulder as it travels along the ledger blade.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the grinding device is provided with a pair of grinding wheels 23 secured to the opposite ends of the operating shaft 24 b yond the ends of the frame 12. As a result of this arrangement the blade 4 can be ground throughout its length without advancing the supporting frame beyond the ends of the blade 4, since one wheel 23 will grind the blade at one end thereof and the other wheel 23 will grind the opposite end of the blade 4. The shaft 24 is journaled in the bearing brackets 25 which are shown as secured to the front plate 12 for vertical adjustment thereupon so that the grinding wheels 23 may be raised and lowered with respect to their supporting frame. To this end each bracket 25 has an elongated slot 26 adapted to receive a key 27 secured to the plate 12 by the bolts 28.

The shaft 24 is conveniently driven by an electric motor 29 which is shown as having the supporting post 30 adapted to be secured in the slotted holder 31 that is rigidly secured to the rear plate 13, the post being clamped in place in the holder 31 by the bolts 32, 33. The motor 29 has the current supply wires 34 and the switch 35. The shaft 24 is driven from the motor spindle by a bevel gear 36 secured to the motor spindle and positioned to mesh with a gear 37 upon the shaft 24. 7

It is necessary to adjust the cutter wheels 23 relative to the blade 4 to vary the cutting action, and while various forms of adjustments may be employedto this end, the desired adjustment is secured in the construc tion shown by mounting the rollers 22 upon the adjustable brackets 38 which are secured to the rear plate 13 of the frame for vertical sliding movement.

The brackets 38 are shown as provided with the elongated slots 39 adapted to receive the keys 40 that are secured to the plate 13 by the bolts 41. Each bracket 38 is provided at its upper end with a laterally extending portion 42 that is notched to receive the reduced portion 43 of the adjusting bolt 44. Each bolt 44 has threaded engagement with a block 14 and is rotated by means of knurled head 45. The arrangement is such that rotation of the bolts 44 adjusts the brackets 38 relative to the grinder frame formed of the face plates 12, 13, and serves to raise or lower the grinding ment is such that the wheels 23 relative to the edge of the blade 4 that is to be sharpened.

The grinding device of the present invention, may be manually reciprocated upon the ledger blade during the grinding operation by engaging the holding post 31 or any other convenient part of the grinding device with the hand to move the grinder back and forth along the ledger blade while the cutters 23 are driven by the motor 33 to perform the grinding operation.

If, however, the ledger blade is relative ly long it may be desirable to employ cable connections to move the grinding device along the ledger blade, and a simple con struction to this end is shown in Fig. 5, wherein the ledger blade and grinding device are constructed the same as in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the ledger blade not only supports the grinding device throughout the grinding operation, but serves also as the support for the cable operating means that reciprocates the grinder. This is accomplished by providing the brackets 46 which rotatably support the grooved pulley 47. The blade 4 is secured to its supporting bar by a series of bolts 48 and the bolts adjacent the ends of the ledger blade may be employed to secure the brackets 46 to the ledger blade as will be ap parent from Fig. 5. Each bracket 46 may also be provided with a shoulder 49 adapted to rest against the end of the blade 4.

An operating cable 50 is looped about the grooved pulleys 47 and the ends of the cable 50 are secured to the faceplate 12 of the grinding device by a bolt 51. The arrangegrinding device may be advanced along the ledger blade in either direction by rotating the crank handle 52 connected to a pulley 47 in the proper direction.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that through the employment of the present invention it is no longer necessary to remove a ledger blade fromthe machine upon which 1t operates in order to grind the blade, since all that is necessary is to move the rotating may be placed upon the ledger blade.

cutter 11 away from the ledger blade so that this blade may be swung upwardly. into the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 1, whereupon the grinding device It may then be moved back and forth along the ledger blade to grind the blade so that the blade will present a true and accurate cutting edge to the fabric to be sheared.

What is claimed is:

1. A ledger blade grinder, comprising in combination, a frame constructed to straddle a ledger blade of the type comprising a blade and supporting bar having a lateral shoulder extending lengthwise of the blade, said frame being provided with rollers adapted to travel along said shoulder andother rollersthatengage the sides of the blade and adapted guide the frame along the blade, power driven "grinding wheel supported by said frame, and adjustable means for raisingzand lowering the grinding wheels relative to the blade to-vary the cutting .action I of the grind ing wheel. I

"2. A lee ger blade grinder, comprising in combination, a frame constructed to straddle a ledger blade of the type comprising a blade and supporting bar having a lateral shoulder exending lengthwise of the blade, said frame being provided with means adapted to rest upon and travel along the shoulder of the blade supporting bar to position the frame relatively thereto, means upon the frame adapted to engage the opposite sides of the blade to guide the frame along the blade, and a grinding wheel carried by the frame to grind the blade.

3. A ledger blade grinder, comprising in combination, a frame constructed to straddle a ledger blade of the type comprising a blade 4 and supporting bar having a lateral shoulder extending lengthwise of the blade, said frame being provided with rollers adapted to rest upon the shoulder of the blade supporting bar to travel there along and position the frame relatively thereto, means upon the frame adapted to engage the blade to guide the frame thereupon, and a grinding wheel mounted upon the frame to grind the blade. 4. A ledger blade grinder, comprising in combination, a frame constructed to be mounted upon a ledger blade of the type comprising a blade and supporting bar having a lateral shoulder extending lengthwise of the blade, said frame being provided with means adapted to rest upon the shoulder of the blade supporting bar to support the weight of the frame, mechanism upon the frame for engaging the opposite sides of the blade to guide the framealong the blade, a grinding wheel carried by the frame, and mechanism cooperating with the shoulder engaging means for moving the grinding wheel toward and from the blade.

5. A ledge blade grinder, comprising in combination, a frame constructed to be mounted upon a ledger blade of the type comprisinga blade and supporting bar having a lateral shoulder extending lengthwise of the blade, said frame being adapted to engage the opposite faces of the blade to be supported and guided by the blade in its movement along the same, rollers mounted for vertical adjustment upon the frame and adapted to engage and travel along the shoulder upon the ledger blade to help support the frame therefrom, and a grinding wheel carried by the frame to grind the blade.

6. A ledger blade grinder, comprising in combination, a frame constructed to be niounted upon a ledger blade of the type comprising a blade and supporting bar having a lateral shoulder extending lengthwise of the blade, said frame being adapted to engage the opposite faces of the blade to guide the frame along the blade, means upon the frame adapted to rest against the shoulder of the blade supporting bar to position the frame relatively thereto, a grinding Wheel carried by the frame to grind the blade, and means for supporting the grinding Wheel for adjustment relative to said frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CARL WICKE. 

